Looking Beyond Disappointment

When disappointments come your way in life, it is easy to blame yourself or others-or even both. Frequently it is difficult to know what to say or do because you cannot quite identify the real cause or purpose of the letdown.

Disappointment is often an emotional response to our own failure-or someone else's-to achieve a desire, hope, dream, or goal. This can lead to losing faith in someone on whom we were depending-perhaps even a person we love.

The gospel of John tells us that Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary, and their brother Lazarus. Because of this, they didn't sense the need to tell the Lord anything more than "He whom You love is sick" (John 11:3). Their expectation was that as soon as Jesus heard this, He would come and heal their brother. But He didn't set out for two more days.

When He arrived, Martha came out to meet Him and said, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died"(v. 21). She'd had the expectation that He would come right away, thereby saving Lazarus's life. She didn't see His purpose, which was to perform a greater miracle.

God has reasons for permitting us to experience disappointments. He could prevent them, but He wants to show us His purpose. His desire is that we will trust and believe-and let our circumstance bring glory to Him (vv. 4, 25).

When disappointments come, will you be stalled and derailed from God's plans for your life? Or will you find yourself open to what He wants to show you and eager to understand His purpose and lesson in those situations? The right response is simply to trust Him.